Australian naval fleet

A vessel of the Royal Australian Navy docked in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday afternoon, commencing its four-day friendly visit to Vietnam and the nation’s naval force. A vessel of the Royal Australian Navy docked in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday afternoon, commencing its four-day friendly visit to Vietnam and the nation’s naval force. Commander Belinda Wood, captain of the Australian Navy frigate HMAS Anzac, along with a crew of 215 naval officers and sailors arrived at the Nha Rong Wharf in Ho Chi Minh City at around 2:00 pm. The visit, scheduled for May 30 to June 2 under the approval of Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense, is aimed at cementing the friendly relationship between the Vietnamese and Australian navies and militaries in accordance with the spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding on National Defense Cooperation between the two countries. It is also expected to contribute to the positive development of the comprehensive Australia-Vietnam … [Read more...] about Royal Australian Navy ship visits Ho Chi Minh City

Australia's new A$50 billion ($38 billion) submarine fleet should be built entirely within Australia, ThyssenKrupp AG's shipbuilding unit said on Thursday, making the German firm the first bidder to publicly endorse domestic construction as the best option. Germany is up against Japan and France for one of the world's most lucrative defense contracts. Each was required under the terms to provide three proposals for construction - entirely overseas, entirely in Australia and a hybrid of the two. A decision on the politically sensitive contract is expected within months, ahead of an Australian national election in which the deal and the jobs it will create are expected to be a key issue for the conservative government. "An all-Australian build is the best option for Australia as it offers the most efficient and lowest-cost approach," TKMS Chairman Hans Atzpodien said in an address in Canberra. "It has become quite clear to us that Australia has the local engineering and technical skills … [Read more...] about Australian submarines should be built entirely at home – Germany’s TKMS

Opposition politicians and industry groups in Australia demanded clarity from the government Tuesday over reports that it could buy a new submarine fleet from Japan rather than build them at home. Australia needs to replace its fleet of diesel and electric-powered subs, which date from the 1990s. Before the conservative government was elected last year, it said up to 12 new vessels would be constructed in South Australia, potentially with Japanese technology. But The Australian newspaper on Tuesday reported that Japan is now the frontrunner to not only supply technology but build the subs as the cost in Australia would be too high. It said that buying off-the-shelf from Japan, based on its highly regarded Soryu-class design, would cost about Aus$25 billion, compared with Aus$50 to $80 billion at home. Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane insisted that "South Australia is certainly still in the mix" but declined to comment on whether the contract would go to Japan. On Monday, Prime Minister … [Read more...] about Concern in Australia over Japan sub fleet plan

India is speeding up a navy modernization program and leaning on its neighbors to curb Chinese submarine activity in the Indian Ocean, as nations in the region become increasingly jittery over Beijing's growing undersea prowess. Just months after a stand-off along the disputed border dividing India and China in the Himalayas, Chinese submarines have shown up in Sri Lanka, the island nation off India's southern coast. China has also strengthened ties with the Maldives, the Indian Ocean archipelago. China's moves reflect its determination to beef up its presence in the Indian Ocean, through which four-fifths of its oil imports pass, and coincides with escalating tension in the disputed South China Sea, where Beijing's naval superiority has rattled its neighbors. "We should be worried the way we have run down our submarine fleet. But with China bearing down on us, the way it is on the Himalayas, the South China Sea and now the Indian Ocean, we should be even more worried," said Arun … [Read more...] about Rattled by Chinese submarines, India joins other nations in rebuilding fleet

After 43 years of watching the world’s largest multinational naval exercises take place off Hawaii, China has the second-largest fleet at the U.S.-led drills this year, offering it a step toward the great-power parity it seeks in the Pacific.
China’s high visibility at the five-week operations underscores a shift in foreign-policy stance away from former leader Deng Xiaoping’s maxim to “hide your brightness, bide your time.” President Xi Jinping is restructuring the military to better enable it to fight wars, and has deployed vessels into areas of the East and South China Seas disputed with neighbors. The Rimpac drills, as they’re known, offer China and the U.S. a non-confrontational opportunity to learn more about each other’s capabilities, a contrast with encounters that have included a near-collision with an American cruiser in December. While China’s four People’s Liberation Army ships have been welcomed, they have also been … [Read more...] about China coveting power parity joins U.S.-led naval drills